X  v vania



i. Bi., APPARATUS Arm Pamcfss for: THE Ricuvmv @if Az-momum SuLFAE. APPLICM'lN FILED IUHE 18. i917.

1,36,1 1 1 .l Patentd Jim, 18, 1921.

Cil

stares PATENT OFFICE.

Josnrn` BECKER, or rrrrsnnnen, rmirts'rrvanra, assrenon To 'rien Korrnns coiarANY, or rrrrsnnne-n, rni'nssz'tvnnra, a conronarroiv or PENNSYL ArPaRA'rUs AND rnoonss ron 'ri-rn nnoovnnr or Ammonium SULFATE.

To all y'miem t may concern Be it lrnoivn that l, .losnrri BECKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at ljittshurgh, in the county ot Allegheny and citate oit Pennsylvania7 have invented a new and usc'tul improvement in Apparatus and' Y ammonia in :torni of ammonium sulfate, and

more particularly concerns apparatus and processes for etl'ecting such recovery from ammoniacal gases trom lay-product ovens or gas `ivorlrs. ll`he invention includes among its objects an increasing oi' the elliciency ot' such aijniaratus and processes, an improved method of absorption of ammonia from the gases, a prevention ot incrustations within the saturator or salting up the cracker pipes in the saturation baths, and such other improvements or advantages in construction and operation as are found to lobtain in the devices and methods hereinafter described or claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part or' this speciication, and showing,

ttor the purposes ot illustration, a preferred form and manner in which the invention may he embodied and practised, Without limiting;l the claimed invention speciiically to such illustrative instance V:- c

Figure l is an elevationand partly diagrammatic illustration oilr the generalv arrangement and functioning ot an apparatus embodying and employing the invention, .tor the recovery otammonium sulfate from ainmoniacal gases from colte or gas ovens; Y

Fig. is an elevational view., taken transversely ot Fig. Lto shop7 more particuwhich it passes on through the conduitV 5 into the tar-extractor G.' From the tar-extractor the gas, moist and cooled, passes through the outlet pipe 7 into the exten- Speclcaton of Letters Patent.

sion pipe 8 and thence throughtxvoot the several branch pipes 9, l0 and il that lead trom such pipe 8 directly into the cracherpipes l2 in the respective saturator-compartments 13, le' and '15. These compartments are in mutual communication, for the overllow andinterchange of the respective portions ot the saturation-bath, through the connecting ducts V16 and 17. This moist .O'as discharged through the cracker-pipes ito' the portions of the saturation-bath Withinl y Patented J 21.11.18,-` 1921.H Application filed `J'une 18, 1917( SeralNO. 175,321. v

the saturator-compartments 13 and ll', gives up its ammonia through the absorption thereotI by such portions of the saturationhath,` With relativelyv limitedformation Vof ammonium sulfate and Without appreciable incrustation Within the saturator or tending to the saltingup of: the cracher-pipes through Which-said gas flows. `From'. `these saturator-compartments :13 and let the ammonia-'freed as :flows throughv the respective outlet pipes 18 and 19 Vinto the collecting pipe 2O leading'intothe acid-separator compartment 2l, and thence passes through the pipe 22 into the inletl pipe 28 leading into the preheater 24. From` this preheater the superheated ammonia-freed `gas is car-4 ried through the pipe 25 and its branchpipe 26 leading into the cracker-pipe Within the other saturator compartment f l5` and there supplies the heat neededto effectf the requisite evaporation and consequent lprecipitation of the ammonium sulfate from. the saturation-bath. F rom vthis saturatorcompartment 15 the' gas passeson through the outlet 'pipe 27into the other collectingV pipe'28 leading into the other compartment 29 of the acid-separator, andv then flows through the pipe 30 to the gas holder. By

reason or' ther relatively moist or non-superheated condition ot the gas flowing through the*saturator-compartments i3, lll, and theA relatively vdry or superheated conditionl ot the gas lowing through the saturator compartment l5, as aforesaid, the level of the portion of the saturator-loath that is in said compartment l5 will tendto loe lower than the level of theportions of saidhath that are in thecompartments@ and lll?, and so there will he maintained a compensating tloiv Jfrom compartment 14; into compartment H15, through the connecting duct lf?, and trom compartment 13 intocompartment Mftlir'oughthe connecting duct 16, preserving a uniform level for the saturation bath in the three compartments, which are partitioned from eachother (as indicated in F ig. 1) but intercommunicate through the said ducts 16 and '17. There may also be some'intermittent reverse flow through these ducts, by reason of the more vigorous ebullition'of the saturator-bath in compartment 15, and this also results in promoting interchange of solution between the several compartments. The compartment 15, in which much the most active evaporation is being maintained, by the current of ammonia-freed superheated gas flowing through such compartment, is thus fed with ammonia-charged liquor' from the compartments 14 and 18, and much the most active deposition of ammonia-sulfategoes on in this compartment 15, although there may be some deposition of sulfate in the other com partments of the compound saturator.

The condensate from the aforesaid coolers 2 and from the tar-extractor 6 flows through the drain pipes 31, 32 and 33 into the separating tank 34,r from which the tar is drawn off into the tar-storage tank and the ammonia-liquor flows off into the ammonialiquor storage tank 36. From the latter the ammonia-liquor is drawn by the pump 87 and forced through the pipe 38 leading to the ammonia still. The ammonia vapor fromthe ammoniastill passes through the main pipe 89 and branch pipe 40 and is discharged intoy the before-mentioned gas current flowing through the pipe 8. There is also provided a branch pipe 41 through which ammonia vapor from the main pipe 39 may be discharged into the gas flowing through the pipe leading off from the abovementioned preheater.

Each saturator-compartment is` provided with a salt-ejector 42, by which the precipitated ammonium sulfate is ejected and discharged upon the drain-table 48, from which it passes to the drier 44, after draining into the drip pan 45 that leads back into the saturation-bath within the saturator-compartments.

The aforesaid branch pipes 9,10 and 11, leading respectively into the saturator-compartments 13, 14 and 15, are provided with valves whereby any one or more of said branch pipes may be opened to vor shut-off from communication with the corresponding saturator-compartment or compartments. Also, the aforesaid pipe 25 is provided with not only the aforesaid branch pipe 26 leading into saturator-compartment 15 but also branch pipes 46 and 47 leading respectively into saturator-compartments 14 and 13; and the said branch pipes 26, 46 and 47 are provided with valves whereby any one or more of such branch pipes may be opened or shutolf from communication with the corresponding saturator-compartments. Also, the

aforesaid collecting pipe 2O is provided with not only the aforesaid branch pipes 18 and. 19 serving respectively as outlets from saturator-compartments 13 and 14 but also with branch pipe 48 serving as an outlet from saturator-compartment 15; and the said branch pipes 18, 19 and 48 are provided with valves whereby any one or more of them may be opened or shut-off from communication with the said collecting pipe 20. Also, the aforesaid other collecting pipe 28 is provided with not only branch pipe 27 leading off from,saturator-compartment 15 but also branch pipes 49 and 50 leading oil' respectively from saturator compartments 14 and 18; and the said branch` pipes 2'?, 49 and 50 are provided with valves whereby any one or more of them may be opened to or shut-off from communication with the said collecting pipe 28. By means of this system of valve-controlled branch pipes, for the said main pipes 8, 25, 2O and 28, the several saturator-compartments may be intercbangeably employed for the absorption of ammonia from the ammoniacal gas from main pipe 8 and for the heating effected by the ammonia-freed gas, from main pipe 25, to cause the evaporation requisite to effect precipitation of ammonium sulfate in the saturation-bath.

Several valve-controlled lay-passes are also provided to permit, at will, the flowing of all or a portion of the gas in other courses, as follows r-A lay-pass pipe 51, controlled by a valve, may be employed to permit the gas to flow directly from the outlet pipe 7 of the tar-extractor into the preheater 24, and thence out throughrthe pipe 25 leading to the saturator-compartments; and when all or a part of the gas follows this course,

either or both of the aforesaid main pipes 8 and 22 may be entirely or partly shut-off by their respective valves located adjacent to said by-pass pipe 51. There is also a valve-controlled by-pass pipe connecting the aforesaid main pipes 8 and 25, whereby all or a part of the gas from either of said pipes may be ledV into the other, with corresponding accommodation, of such change of flow, by adjustment of the valves on the aforesaid branch aipes that respectively lead, from said main pipes 8 and 25, into the saturater-compartments. rJ'Chese by-pass arrangements permit the system to be operated either entirely or partially in accordance with the methods set forth in. preceding paragraphs, or to be operated in such manner as to pass all of theammoniacal gas through the preheater and thence to one or more of the saturator-compartments, without returning any ofthe ammonia-freed gas to the prehcater; and thus great flexibility of operation and adjustment of the system is made possible.

The invention maybe embodied or practised` in' apparatus and ways diil'ering vtrom the apparatus Vand processes hereinabove particularly described for purposes of illus-k n of the tration, and still be within the scope claims hereinafter made. Y z

I claim: 'g1 l 1. ln the recoveryof ammonium sulfate:

the process otiirst directly passing the tar-V directly into a compartmentof the satura` tor, to ellect absorption of ammonia from suchgas; and a preheater and connections, whereby the gas iowing fromthe said com-L partment of the saturator is superheated and carried to another compartment of said saturator, to causethe evaporation requisite to effect precipitation of ammonium sulfate; substantially as specified. f Y

3. In the recovery of ammonium sulfate: the process of directly passing the tar-freed moist gas through a portion oiI the-satura,- tion-bath, to effect absorption of the ammonia from such gas, and heating by a portion of such gas another portion of thesaturation-bath to cause the evaporation requisite to eilcct precipitation Voit the ammonium sulfate; substantially as specified. Y i 1l. In apparatus for the recovery of ammonium sulfate, in combination: a saturator having a plurality of communicating compartments to` contain the saturationbath; a tar-extractor and connections through whichthe tar-freed moist gas flows directly into a compartment of the saturator, toV eilect absorption of ammonia from such gas; and means for heating by va porl tion of such gas another compartment of the saturator, to cause the evaporation requisite to effect precipitation of ammonium sulfate;

substantially as specified. Y'

In apparatus for the recoveryof am-` monium sulfate, in combination: a saturator having a plurality of communicating comthe different compartments of the saturator with the ammoniacal gas supply and the heating means respectively;fsubstantially as speciech fj f a i 6; V1n apparatus for the recovery, otam-Y monium sulrate,in combination: agplurality of',saturator-compartments; a tar-extractor, and direct connectionsthererom to each saturator compartment; a preheater, and

*connections` thereto `and*.therefrom for each Y" saturator compartment; f and?r means for permitting interchangeable opening-and closing oi the connections of eachfsaturator come y partmentgwith theammoniaclal` gas `supply and the preh'eater respectively, whereby the compartments may be interchangeably empployed forthe absorption oi ammonia from the ammoniacal'gas andfor the heating or' the'satura'tion-bath to eifect the precipitation of ammonium sulfate; substantially as specified. i y

7. In apparatus for the recovery of ammonium sulfate, in combination: a' plurality of saturator compartments; a tar-extractor, and direct connections therefrom to each saturator compartment; vheating means and connections therewith forV each saturator compartment; and devices for permitting interchangeable opening and closing of the connections of each saturator compartment with the ammoniacal gas supply and the heating means respectively, whereby Y the compartments may be interchangeably employed for the absorption of ammonia from the ammoniacal gas and for the heating or the saturation-bath to eli'ectprecpitation of gnmonium sulfate; substantially as speci 8. In` apparatus for the recovery of ammonium sulfate, in combination: a plurality of saturator compartments; a tar-extractor, and direct connections therefrom to each saturator compartment; a preheater, and

connections thereto and therefrom for each i saturator compartment; means for permitting interchangeable opening and closing of the Aconnections or' each vsaturator ccompart ment with the ammoniacal gas supply and the preheater respectively, whereby the compartments may be interchangeably employed ior the absorption of ammonia from the ammoniacal gas and for the heating of the saturation-bathto effect the precipitation of ammonium sulfate; and v valve-controlled bypass connection between the preheater'and the conduit for moist ammoniacal gas; substantially as specified.

9. In the recovery of ammonium sulfate: the process of directly lpassing the tar-treed moist gas through a' portion of the saturation-bath, to effect absorption of the am- :monia from such gas, and heating by a superheated portion of such gas another portion of .the saturation-bath to cause the evaporation requisite' to'eilect precipitation l0. In the recovery lof ammonium sulfate:

-the process of directly passing the tar-freed moist gas throu h a portion of the `saturamonia` from such gas, and precipitating the ammonium sulfate inanother portion of the saturation-bath, Wholly by superheated lean gas, as the sole carrier for the requisitel evaporation from the saturation-bath; substantially as specified. I

11. In an apparatus for'the recovery of ammonium sulfate a compartmented satura.-

tor; an ammoniacal gas supply; and means for permitting interchangeable opening and closing of the compartments of said saturator individually or collectively with said ammoniacal -gas supply; substantially as JOSEPH BECKER.

Witnesses:

Jos. VAN ACKERMAN,

JOSEPH DvoRAK. 

